WPF: Cancel a user selection in a databound ListBox?

Question

How do I cancel a user selection in a databound WPF ListBox? The source property is set correctly, but the ListBox selection is out of sync.

I have an MVVM app that needs to cancel a user selection in a WPF ListBox if certain validation conditions fail. Validation is triggered by a selection in the ListBox, rather than by a Submit button.

The ListBox.SelectedItem property is bound to a ViewModel.CurrentDocument property. If validation fails, the setter for the view model property exits without changing the property. So, the property to which ListBox.SelectedItem is bound doesn't get changed.

If that happens, the view model property setter does raise the PropertyChanged event before it exits, which I had assumed would be enough to reset the ListBox back to the old selection. But that's not working--the ListBox still shows the new user selection. I need to override that selection and get it back in sync with the source property.

Just in case that's not clear, here is an example: The ListBox has two items, Document1 and Document2; Document1 is selected. The user selects Document2, but Document1 fails to validate. The ViewModel.CurrentDocument property is still set to Document1, but the ListBox shows that Document2 is selected. I need to get the ListBox selection back to Document1.

Here is my ListBox Binding:

<ListBox 
    ItemsSource="{Binding Path=SearchResults, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" 
    SelectedItem="{Binding Path=CurrentDocument, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />

I did try using a callback from the ViewModel (as an event) to the View (which subscribes to the event), to force the SelectedItem property back to the old selection. I pass the old Document with the event, and it is the correct one (the old selection), but the ListBox selection doesn't change back.

So, how do I get the ListBox selection back in sync with the view model property to which its SelectedItem property is bound? Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

-snip-

Well forget what I wrote above.

I just did an experiment, and indeed SelectedItem goes out of sync whenever you do anything more fancy in the setter. I guess you need to wait for the setter to return, and then change the property back in your ViewModel asynchronously.

Quick and dirty working solution (tested in my simple project) using MVVM Light helpers: In your setter, to revert to previous value of CurrentDocument

                var dp = DispatcherHelper.UIDispatcher;
                if (dp != null)
                    dp.BeginInvoke(
                    (new Action(() => {
                        currentDocument = previousDocument;
                        RaisePropertyChanged("CurrentDocument");
                    })), DispatcherPriority.ContextIdle);

it basically queues the property change on the UI thread, ContextIdle priority will ensure it will wait for UI to be in consistent state. it Appears you cannot freely change dependency properties while inside event handlers in WPF.

Unfortunately it creates coupling between your view model and your view and it's an ugly hack.

To make DispatcherHelper.UIDispatcher work you need to do DispatcherHelper.Initialize() first.

Answer 2

Got it! I am going to accept majocha's answer, because his comment underneath his answer led me to the solution.

Here is wnat I did: I created a SelectionChanged event handler for the ListBox in code-behind. Yes, it's ugly, but it works. The code-behind also contains a module-level variable, m_OldSelectedIndex, which is initialized to -1. The SelectionChanged handler calls the ViewModel's Validate() method and gets a boolean back indicating whether the Document is valid. If the Document is valid, the handler sets m_OldSelectedIndex to the current ListBox.SelectedIndex and exits. If the document is invalid, the handler resets ListBox.SelectedIndex to m_OldSelectedIndex. Here is the code for the event handler:

private void OnSearchResultsBoxSelectionChanged(object sender, SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
{
    var viewModel = (MainViewModel) this.DataContext;
    if (viewModel.Validate() == null)
    {
        m_OldSelectedIndex = SearchResultsBox.SelectedIndex;
    }
    else
    {
        SearchResultsBox.SelectedIndex = m_OldSelectedIndex;
    }
}

Note that there is a trick to this solution: You have to use the SelectedIndex property; it doesn't work with the SelectedItem property.

Thanks for your help majocha, and hopefully this will help somebody else down the road. Like me, six months from now, when I have forgotten this solution...